A man charged with conspiracy to import over $1 million worth of cannabis took to the stand in Supreme Court yesterday claiming he was tricked by a former work colleague.

Kingsley Owen (Critter) Young of #5 Tribe Road, Paget, is also charged with conspiracy to possess cannabis with intent to supply.

In January, 2003, Police discovered 19 packets of cannabis concealed within a television and dryer unit imported from Baltimore, Maryland and labelled to Young, then an employee of Bermuda Air Conditioning.

In accordance with their company?s policy, all employees of BAC are allowed to use company container space to import goods from overseas in order to avoid freight expenses ? a facility Young says he was using at the behest of his friend Dennis Simmons.

Throughout a 40-minute cross-examination by Crown counsel Anthony Blackman, Young consistently denied that he had had any knowledge of the cannabis contained within the appliances ? despite Simmons? claims to the contrary.

?Dennis Simmons approached me some time in late 2002 and asked whether I would mind helping him bring in some appliance goods from the States,? he said.

?Of course I said no problem. He was a friend of mine. But I had no knowledge of the drugs until I was called into the Human Resources office at my job about a day after the goods had arrived and was informed by the Police officer there that I was being charged...?

On the day the goods arrived in Bermuda, Young claims he called Simmons to inform him of their arrival, before loading the cardboard boxes containing the three units into the back of his work truck and driving to East Broadway Gas Station where Simmons worked.

Young then followed Simmons back to the latter?s residence in Smith?s Parish (he claims he did not know where Simmons lives) and helped him to unload the goods before returning via Hamilton to the BAC premises.

After questioning from the Crown, Young conceded that he ?probably did not? help Simmons carry all the units inside, while admitting that one of the cardboard boxes ?could have been? left in the house?s yard upon his departure.

The Crown argued that Young was aware of the drugs within the appliances and had specifically instructed Simmons to leave one of the units outside so he could collect it that evening.

Simmons had earlier alleged that Young had called him from work later that day and told him to deliver two bags of cannabis to a man named ?Judson Williams?.

Young insists that he has never had any dealings with a Mr. Williams and has ?no idea? who he is.

On Monday, the court heard that Dennis Simmons and his brother Rodney had journeyed to Baltimore in December, 2002 to meet with a man named Leon Saunders ? a resident of Baltimore.

Mr. Saunders purchased the television, washer and dryer and, Simmons has alleged, instructed the brothers to present the invoices to Young in Bermuda.

Young said yesterday that he did not know Mr. Saunders, nor did he have any knowledge of the Simmons? trip to the US.

Both the Crown and defence have concluded their cases and will deliver their summations this morning in front of Assistant Justice Carlisle Greaves.